Obit: Clara S. Gray

Clara S. Gray, of Bear passed away Friday, March 8, surrounded by her loving family in Christiana Hospital. At 88 years old, she had dedicated her life to God and her family, who cherished her dearly.

Born Aug. 15, 1924, she was a lifetime member of St. George’s United Methodist Church, where she worshipped faithfully, sang in the choir and belonged to the United Methodist Women, serving as president, secretary and treasurer. As a child, she was a member of the Elizabeth Reynolds Sunday School Class “Shining Stars” and as an adult, she taught her own lessons – in church and to her family.

Clara S. Gray, of Bear passed away Friday, March 8, surrounded by her loving family in Christiana Hospital. At 88 years old, she had dedicated her life to God and her family, who cherished her dearly.

Born Aug. 15, 1924, she was a lifetime member of St. George’s United Methodist Church, where she worshipped faithfully, sang in the choir and belonged to the United Methodist Women, serving as president, secretary and treasurer. As a child, she was a member of the Elizabeth Reynolds Sunday School Class “Shining Stars” and as an adult, she taught her own lessons – in church and to her family.

After attending Goldey-Beacom College, where she began her meticulous bookkeeping skills, she worked at DuPont Experimental Station for three years. She left there to work side-by-side with the love of her life Vance A. Gray, spending more than 67 years building their family and farm life together. In later years, she enjoyed working part-time at Coleman’s Tree Farm in Odessa. In 2009-2010, she and her husband recorded an oral history of his life.

She enjoyed canning, cooking, gardening, genealogy and needlework and had made countless Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and chemo caps over the years. She baked hundreds of homemade chocolate chip cookies to give at the holidays. But her favorite activity of all was spending time with her close-knit family.

Mrs. Gray was a member of the Delaware Farm Bureau and the St. George’s Historical Society. She volunteered for decades for Meals on Wheels and Commodore MacDonough and Southern elementary school libraries.

Her husband of 67 years, Vance, and her parents, Phillip and Harriett Simmons, preceded her in death.

The family expresses sincere appreciation to Dr. Maria Lazar, her staff and the staff on 5A at Christiana Care.

Interment will be held noon on Tuesday, March 12 at St. Georges Cemetery in St. Georges, DE. Following interment services, Mrs. Gray’s family will receive friends from 1:00-2:00 pm at the St. Georges Historical Society, 200 N. Main Street in St. Georges, where a memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. George’s UMC, P.O. Box 145, St. George’s, DE 19733-0145.